Thursday, April 14, 2016

Nothing plain about this Jane

Look, Mom, they're big enough for frogs!

When Georgianna from Sunday Girl Designs asked me if I would be willing to test her Jane's Plain Dress and Tunic pattern, I was more than happy to try this one out! My daughter has moved away from ruffles and OTT dresses (moment of silence as I grieve for a second) so this dress was singing her song! AND, it has pockets "big enough to put frogs in"...yes, that is exactly what she said. I inwardly freaked out and had little heart palpitations when she said that, and I'm terrified to check her pockets now because I am scared of what I might find in them.

Close up of the pocket

So, as per usual, I like to give some pattern details up front so you know what you're working with:

- Sizes range from 3T to 8
- 2 hem options: scalloped or straight
- 2 neckline options: with or without Peter Pan collar in front
- Button closure in the back so no zippers (BONUS for me because I'm not besties with zippers)
- Optional seamed pockets on both sides of the dress
- Size layering so you can print just the size(s) you need/want
- Very clear, concise instructions with photographs on each step for those who, like me, need to see it to believe it.

So, where do I begin with how much I love this pattern? I made both of mine with the collar and the scalloped edges. My daughter asked that I please not put the bow on it. :(! SOOO, no little bows, but I might still make one and sneak it in there. The dress is pretty roomy and comes down well low enough that my girl was still able to crawl on the rocks and run after her bubs. She also played basketball in the driveway with her tunic on. Might as well look great while exercising, right? We did a photo shoot with several clothing changes, and she said, "Oh, this one is just the one I wanted, Momb!" so...winning!!

I made both the dress and the tunic, and the fit was spot on to RTW. My daughter is moving out of 6 into 7 so she has some spare room in a 7. These were both a 7, and they have just enough space for her to grow a little...but they aren't so big that she's lost in a sea of fabric chaos.

I did love that the armholes and neck are finished with bias binding because it gives so many opportunities to add some pops of color. There is also the option to let the binding show or tuck it back when you finish the binding. I let it show on the dress and tucked it back on the tunic, and we were equally happy with both versions! When I asked her what she thought of these, she popped two thumbs up and told me, "I think Miss Georgie scored a goal with this one!" :)!

Now, word of advice here, accuracy is very important as far as the binding because it is narrower so when Georgianna says to try to be as accurate as possible, she really does mean as accurate as possible. I wasn't when I did the binding on the tunic, and it was maddening to try to get it to work so I ended up frog stitching that one and ripping out the binding so I could make some more and try again. Second time I was much more careful, and the result was much much better...

My favorite part of this pattern was the scallops...and the collar...and the lace or bias tape at the bottom...and the buttons...and just about everything. Both the dress and collar came together wicked fast. I think it took longer to assemble the pattern than it did to sew it. And, I know the propensity for some of us to cut corners and not really pay too much attention to notches, dots, notes, arrows, etc on patterns, but you will want to pay attention to them on this one. Those little notches and dots are really important markers for where to place pieces and where to sew/cut seams when you're done sewing.

We added a little flower because my daughter said the horses need something to nibble on...

Overall construction went very fast for me even with the collar and scallops. I think the tunic took me about an hour and some change to finish, and the dress took only slightly longer just because I had to be careful with the pockets. I finished the tunic while the kids and their friends were sidewalk chalking our driveway, and my kids are big squirrel chasers so nothing holds their interest for long before they are moving onto another adventure.

Okay, so now for the best part...this pattern will be released tomorrow (16 April) and will be available at a special release price of $4 until Sunday at 10PM CST. There will also be a tutorial with it to cover how to work with the bias binding method used in this pattern! You can grab your pattern at Georgianna's Etsy shop, and she has a FB group where you can keep up to date on her happenings and ask questions if you hit a head scratch when you're sewing!

If you've stuck it out with me to the end, I do appreciate you for reading along, and don't forget, this pattern is only on sale for a limited time so don't miss out on getting your copy at the special release price!!